The range of the new Mercedes GLC includes not one or two, but three plug-in hybrid versions. Next to the GLC 300e and GLC300de, we took the fastest and most powerful plug-in hybrid of the bunch, the GLC 400e 4Matic. Can this GLC win our hearts?

Faster than a Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI and Toyota GR86 in a straight line. This is made possible by combining a 252 hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (and 9-speed automatic gearbox) with an electric motor producing 136 hp to get a system power of 381 hp and 650 Nm of torque, throwing all the power to the four wheels. Its effect is shooting the 2.355 kg heavy GLC to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds and onto a top speed of 237 km/h. That number is even more impressive if you know you could average fuel consumption of less than one liter in 100 kilometers. But don’t think for a minute you can use all that power if you want to hit that number. If you really want to be the most ecological, go get the GLC 300e, it has the same engine (but with only 204 hp), the same electric engine and the same 31.2 kWh battery, but you will be less challenged to use all that power.

Just like the other plug-in hybrids, the Mercedes-Benz GLC400e is also standard offered with air suspension on the rear axle and believe us when we say this: it’s necessary and needs to work overtime to keep that weight in balance. Even then, the rear of the car is still rocking over speed bumps and the weight makes the car unbalanced in corners. That’s a little bit of a shame if you know the GLC shares the same -with performance potential- MRA2-architecture of the Mercedes C-class.

Thanks to the 31.2 kWh battery, a range of more than 100 electric kilometers is easily accomplished. The plugin hybrid GLC 400e can be charged with a three-phase AC charger of 11 kW, and -this is the important one- with a 60 kW fast charge (DC). The electric top speed is an impressive 140 kph, but don’t think you will get 100 kilometers far at that pace.

Big battery, smaller booth

The battery has to be put somewhere! Our GLC 400e has a 470 liters big (or small) trunk, which is 150 liters less than a purely fossil-powered Mercedes GLC. Throw down the rear seats and that volume rises to 1.520 liters.

The most powerful GLC gets the AMG line as standard, because … power, AMG, fast … you get the picture. The recipe is well-known: sporty bumpers, a rim size starting at 19-inch, less chrome, more body-color (or black) details and the impressive AMG line radiator grille filled with miniature Mercedes stars. Against its predecessor, this GLC is 6 cm longer (1,5 cm in the wheelbase) but isn’t higher or wider so you can talk about evolution instead of revolution.

More of the C-class

Not only the platform is shared with the C-class but also a lot -say: almost all- of the interior parts. The dashboard gets the central upright 11.9-inch touchscreen, which is supplemented with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an optional head-up display. More of the “digital ink” is spilled on the steering wheel with the touch buttons, that we are slowly getting used to and starting to love.

Conclusion

The Mercedes-Benz GLC 400e is an awesome car! It’s beautiful, it’s economical and it’s comfy, but it’s also starting at 84.000 euros. The Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e is just as economical, it’s just as beautiful, whereas it’s also pretty fast and it will “only” cost you 75.000 euros (with AMG line: 81.000 euros). And let’s be honest: you don’t buy a GLC to be sporty (because it isn’t so good at that), but to drive in comfort. So a GLC 300e without the AMG line for me.